Team league heads-up format?

General
1

Here in Vermont, we’re planning on running an 8-week team league starting in March, all at one location. Rather than using pingolf as we’ve done the last several seasons, I’m hoping to use some kind of heads up format. I’m wondering if anyone has any experience with this kind of team league and can say what does and doesn’t work.

Team size is pretty much locked in at 4 players each. It would be possible to combined teams and double their size if that’s somehow an advantage.

I’m also imagining a schedule where Team A plays Team B on week 1, Team A plays Team C on week 2, etc. Obviously, we’ll need an even number of teams.

Should individual matches be 2-player (one from each team) or 4-player (2 from each team)? If the latter, should it be a single win at stake or a point for each win or a point for finishing first and 2 points for finishing in the top 2 places?

Or am I completely on the wrong track?

Thanks.

I might not have to ask this question if the “League Rules Page” at http://www.pinballnyc.com/league/overview went somewhere. :slightly_smiling:

2

Look into what they’re doing in Seattle: http://www.mondaynightpinball.com/

Sounds pretty fun to me. I’m about to start a league in Colorado that aims to replicate it.

3 Likes
3

Thanks! I’ll check it out.

4

This is how our team league works here in NYC. I’m confused - is that link not working for you, or is just the opaqueness?

We do 2 pts for a win in doubles (2 players vs 2 players - scores are added by team), and 1 pt for head to head. Match play consists of 2 rounds of 4 player games, and 2 rounds of 4, 1 player games. For a total of 16 possible points. Tie-breakers decided on either a single 1-player game, or a doubles game of split flipper. Home team decides.

I agree that the rules could be written better…much better in fact. I don’t write em though. Just play.

2 Likes
5

The “League Rules Page” link doesn’t seem to work.

Thanks for the info!

6

Steve, try this: http://www.pinballnyc.com/league/rules-docs/

2 Likes
7

I also play in the NYC league. A couple of notes.

  • We have 8 player teams because you don’t want a forfeit if a person can’t make it.

  • I really like what Seattle has done to give points just for showing up. You want to incentivize new players to come and those rules are good for that.

  • We originally did 4 person games first, then singles. We’ve moved to one round of doubles then all singles games, then one last round of doubles. This cuts down on the number of times it is locked up before the last round.

It’s a really great format for new players and provides and interesting amount of strategy for team captains.